The Maps of Chickamauga: An Atlas of the Chickamauga Campaign, Including the Tullahoma Operations, June 22 –September 23, 1863
This volume continues the outstanding Savas-Beattie Civil War Military Atlas series. Historian David A. Powell and cartographer David A. Friedrichs have followed that series’ well-researched and well-received The Maps of First Bull Run and The Maps of Gettysburg with another exceptional volume, this time depicting a crucial campaign of the Civil War in the heartland. The book is about maps and about the maneuvers or actions depicted on those maps. There are 16 map sets, each containing from five to 15 maps, showing troop dispositions and movements, with a facing page of text discussing the action depicted on each map. The initial map sets show the Tullahoma operations in middle Tennessee and the Chickamauga Campaign’s opening moves, followed by the Battle of Chickamauga itself. The 13 map sets of the Battle of Chickamauga are broken down into five map sets for the Sept. 19 fighting, seven for the Sept. 20 action, and a final one, “From Rossville to Chattanooga (Sept. 21–23),” depicting the Union retreat into Chattanooga and Confederate pursuit. Those are followed by a concluding epilogue on the Chickamauga Campaign. The battle maps show a range of time frames from 15 minutes of battle to several hours. The book is a high-quality production printed on glossy paper. All maps are in color, well drawn, easy to follow, and depict troops, troop movements, roads, ridges, streams and flora. The larger units shown on the maps are identified by their commanders; the smallest units shown are regiments and batteries, which are identified by their unit designations. The text explaining the maps is well written and well researched. Besides an overview of the action, there is commentary from participants. Two appendices show the orders of battle and losses by regiment and battery for the Tullahoma operation and the Battle of Chickamauga. The Maps of Chickamauga is outstanding and highly recommended. It can stand alone as a history of the campaign and battle; it is an essential companion to any history of the battle, and it is a must for any Civil War buff visiting the Chickamauga battlefield. Reviewer: Joseph A. Derie Joseph A. Derie is a VMI graduate and a long time Civil War buff and military book reviewer. A retired Coast Guard officer and licensed officer of the Merchant Marine, he is a Certified Marine Investigator and marine surveyor.
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Maps, notes, appendices, bibliography, index, 320 pp., 2009. Savas-Beattie,